Kumara Jayakody - Minister of Energy

¶ 01 Mr. Speaker, this is the reply to the question raised by the Hon. Leader of the Opposition under Standing Order 27(2) on 2025.03.21.

¶ 02 1. Government cost per unit of electricity generated by CEB-owned plants in 2024 (LKR per kWh): - Diesel: 142.43 - Furnace Oil: 46.94 - Naphtha: 54.45 - Coal: 20.82 - Hydro: 2.30 - Wind: 12.12

¶ 03 Government cost per unit purchased from private power plants in 2024 (LKR per kWh): - Diesel (Sobadanavi, to be converted to LNG operation in future): Rs. 80.20 (Dec 2024) - Coal: Rs. 50.37 (Dec 2024) - Small hydro: Rs. 14.13 - Wind average: Rs. 15.73 - Solar rooftop up to 500 kW: Rs. 27.06 - Solar above 500 kW: Rs. 23.18 - Net-metering/net-plus aggregation schemes: Rs. 23.18

¶ 04 Number of coal and diesel plants: 13. Ownership details include: - Lakvijaya (Norochcholai) – Coal (CEB) - Kelanitissa (Small GT) – Diesel (CEB) - Kelanitissa GT-7 – Diesel (CEB) - Manuangama – [Diesel/Fuel oil capability] - Southern Janani – [Diesel] - Kelanitissa 2 – [Fuel oil/diesel capability] - Sapugaskanda A – [Fuel oil/diesel capable] - Sapugaskanda B – [Fuel oil/diesel capable] - Barge-mounted plant – [Fuel oil] - Uthuru Janani – Naphtha (diesel-capable) - Kelanitissa Combined Cycle – Naphtha (diesel-capable) - Yugadanavi (West Coast Power) – Heavy fuel; majority (59.63%) indirectly held by state entities - Sobadanavi – Diesel (non-CEB), located at Kerawalapitiya

¶ 05 Other renewables purchase tariffs (indicative, LKR/kWh): - Solar ground-mounted: average Rs. 19.49 - Dendro: average Rs. 36.59 - Biomass/municipal solid waste: SPPA Rs. 36.20 (with Rs. 13.10 from Treasury)

¶ 06 2. As per the Long-Term Generation Expansion Plan (LTGEP) for 2025–2044, expected solar additions to the grid up to 2030 (MW): - 2025: 200 - 2026: 370 - 2027: 400 - 2028: 450 - 2029: 450 - 2030: 450

¶ 07 By end-2024: - Rooftop solar installed: 1,535 MW (CEB 1,266 + LECO 269) - Utility-scale solar: 175 MW - Total solar capacity: 1,710 MW (about 20% of total installed capacity)

¶ 08 Under the approved 2023–2042 LTGEP, forecast solar capacity was 1,644 MW; by Dec 2024 actual solar reached 1,586 MW, about 96% of forecast.

¶ 09 Measures to promote solar: - Integrate required future solar capacity into the LTGEP. - Procure utility-scale solar via competitive tenders. - Offer multiple rooftop schemes aligned to consumption patterns. - Upgrade transmission for integrating renewables. - Streamline approvals via SLSEA and CEB jointly; provide online approval for rooftop. - Current purchase prices for ground-mounted solar (from 2025-06-16) by size band range from Rs. 14.46 to Rs. 20.90 per kWh; battery energy supplied to the night peak is paid Rs. 45.80 per kW·h (time-block remuneration).

¶ 10 Legacy rooftop/net schemes continue under contracted terms with schedule-based tariffs that have been periodically revised (details set out in schedules with levels by kW bands and time, and provisions for two-tier tariffs to match loan servicing).

¶ 11 A multi-agency pricing committee (Energy Ministry, CEB, LECO, SLSEA, PUCSL, and Central Bank) annually calculates levelized tariffs (20-year contracts) based on an agreed formula, subject to Cabinet approval, and revises if input costs materially change.

¶ 12 For ground-mounted solar: - SPPA projects: Rs. 17.62/kWh - Recent competitive tenders: around Rs. 18.71/kWh Adjustments reflect market factors to pass benefits to consumers; they do not deter genuine investors. As of now, 96 projects (175 MW) are operational; pipeline includes 74 SPPA/awarded projects (430 MW), 26 tendered and contracted (99 MW), and 55 pending contract (202 MW).

¶ 13 Rooftop policy: - To ensure equitable transformer capacity sharing, rooftop installations are limited to contracted demand, allowing broader customer participation per transformer. Circular No. 2025/GM/08/DCC of 2025.03.17 restored this principle.

¶ 14 By end-August 2025: - Rooftop via CEB: 1,706 MW - Rooftop via LECO: 329 MW - Total rooftop: 2,035 MW Ground-mounted via tenders (as of 2025-10-07): 192 MW

¶ 15 Additional note: The Sri Lanka Electricity (Amendment) Act, No. 14 of 2025, was passed on 2025-08-18.

¶ 16 Clarification: Yesterday the Hon. Leader of the Opposition stated that the CEB has no trade union. However, information before me shows the Samagi Sevaka Sangamaya is a registered union within CEB under No. 9422. Its organizer, R.A.S.R. Roopasinghe (Roshan), submitted a 24-point letter to us dated September 03, signed by 25 union representatives. I also have records that Sunil Withana Arachchi, Secretary of Samagi Sevaka Sangamaya (Employee No. 19104, at Athulkotte), attended a union meeting with me regarding the October 13 gathering. These documents are tabled.

¶ 17 The Opposition Leader should verify whether this is ignorance about unions or whether unions are formed unbeknownst to the party and workers’ dues misused. I table the signatures and documents.

¶ 18 Thank you.